anyone ever just need a break?

[LowDown Hal]

I've been having a little trouble getting motivated to practice lately. I figure a short break, just sorta' playing but not really practicing, is probably OK?

[coolrunner989]

"just sorta' playing but not really practicing" describes most of my bass-time. I'm so busy with every thing else that playing bass is not going to become the time where I sit down and scrutinize what I play and how I play it.

[jsingles]

absolutely, sometimes you really just have to take a breather

[bass_snake]

I usually take a week off.

[tjh]

I took a little break ... that was back in the early 70's ... then I went off and fought a war, and life happened and I didnt pick a bass back up until 2005 ... depends on where you want to go with your bass playing, but if you have a good foundation, it will always be there if you want/need it

[SmittyG]

I've had to step away from time to time. But, for me, the best results are based on what I do with that time. I start hunting for new music. New releases from old favorites or scanning the net for fresh unsigned bands or checking out a style of music I've never paid attention to before. Eventually, within a couple of days of listening to all this music, I will get hungry to play. This is the trick to the plan--I won't pick up the bass just yet. After a couple of more days, I usually find the drive to play almost mind-numbing. At that point, I'm good to go. And, usually, because of listening to something new, I have a couple of fresh ideas to bring to the table.

[DudeistMonk]

I just stopped playing when I went to college, didn't feel I was good enough to join a band (in retrospect I was, and I should have) and without Jazz/Pit/Pep/Concert band to keep me in it I left my bass at home and just stopped playing.

Eventually I brought my bass back up and learned a few songs...then I decided to get back in it, took a music theory class, started playing again, discovered groove and my own improvisational abilities, started practicing, started jamming, starting taking lessons again, started a band.

The 3 or 4 years I didn't play my taste in music grew and changed, I listened a lot and I came back to bass with a greater understanding of what I wanted to do and who I am.

[gary mitchell]

i played bass and lead guitar in the 60 and 70s then took a break got married, then my son died my wife left raised to girls by myself. for got all about music. then became a christain in 81 we were praying for musicians in our church, and old friend look at me and said gary didnt you use to play guitar and i said yes i did didnt even dawn on me til then since ive been playing almost 30 yrs i played lead guitar worship and christain metal band. and now out of need in my church iam playing bass and playing bass in a small southern rock country band, seems like guitar players are a dime a dozen around austin area, but bass players are few, and come to find out i like it better then guitar.

[DogPlaysBass]

i had a break once...

[SuperDuck]

Originally Posted by LowDown Hal

I've been having a little trouble getting motivated to practice lately. I figure a short break, just sorta' playing but not really practicing, is probably OK?

I would suggest figuring out what it is about your current practice routine that has you bored and make some changes, rather than stopping altogether.

Bored with scales? Spend the next two weeks learning 5 Stevie Wonder songs, starting with Sir Duke.

Tired of trying to pick up the bass lines off of CDs? Practice some scales/modes. Learn what a ii/V7/I is.

If you find that you're not interested in practicing, practice what you find interesting.

[Bassman316]

Originally Posted by SmittyG

I've had to step away from time to time. But, for me, the best results are based on what I do with that time. I start hunting for new music. New releases from old favorites or scanning the net for fresh unsigned bands or checking out a style of music I've never paid attention to before. Eventually, within a couple of days of listening to all this music, I will get hungry to play. This is the trick to the plan--I won't pick up the bass just yet. After a couple of more days, I usually find the drive to play almost mind-numbing. At that point, I'm good to go. And, usually, because of listening to something new, I have a couple of fresh ideas to bring to the table.

+1

I think we all go through what you're talking about. I go through these "phases" (for lack of better word) where I just play and play and play, and then the week after I play maybe once or twice. That's when I head to the store and see what's out there that grabs my attention and pick up as much new music as I can, and hear what it's all about (usually paying most attention to the bass player )

When I need a break, the last thing I think of is forcing myself to practice to stay fresh or loose. The worst thing you can do is pick up your instrument when you really don't want to, IMO.

[DudeistMonk]

Buying something fun and bass related helps 2....I got kinda bored wasn't seeing improvement in my playing for about a month, I wasn't motivated to practice, started playing some videos games ext....then I bought a bass POD live...I played around on that thing till my finger left ring finger was a giant blister, and then popped it and played all weekend....started back into my lesson material and all is well in bass land again.

[LowDown Hal]

Thanks for all the discussion and suggestions. I think it's mainly just needing a short break in "practicing my assigned lessons". Since I picked up the Bass a little over a year ago (at the age of 50) I've been taking lessons. Recently I hooked up with some guys for an occasional jam session. In my approx. age group most of these guys have been playing for 30-40 years. They are all more experienced (which is great for me) and know A LOT of cover tunes. So I feel more interested in learning tunes to jam along.

But, I don't think I'm done with lessons. That's the "break" I'm talking about needing.

I'm going on vacation the first week of Nov. While gone I won't have an instrument. I think between now and then I'll just noodle on downloaded tabs and get back to lesson plans when I return from vacation.

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by LowDown Hal

Thanks for all the discussion and suggestions. I think it's mainly just needing a short break in "practicing my assigned lessons". Since I picked up the Bass a little over a year ago (at the age of 50) I've been taking lessons. Recently I hooked up with some guys for an occasional jam session. In my approx. age group most of these guys have been playing for 30-40 years. They are all more experienced (which is great for me) and know A LOT of cover tunes. So I feel more interested in learning tunes to jam along.

But, I don't think I'm done with lessons. That's the "break" I'm talking about needing.

I'm going on vacation the first week of Nov. While gone I won't have an instrument. I think between now and then I'll just noodle on downloaded tabs and get back to lesson plans when I return from vacation.

I wouldn't stop your assigned lesson your teacher is giving them to you for a reason. I would say add things to make you want to play. If time is fixed then adjust the down the assigned work, but don't stop. Also talk to your teacher about this, a good teacher knows some things get old and students need something new that excites them.

Play on...

[JNowiski]

when i was in high school i'd take a month or two off from playing bass at home. I still had to play electric and upright bass in school, but i wouldn't play much when i'd get home. sometimes i'd play guitar a little (mostly ted nugent and molly hatchett stuff) but more than guitar i'd practice mandolin. got pretty good at it (not ricky skaggs level) but pretty good, could play almost all the Nickel Creek stuff and alot of the older bluegrass.

[Icarus26]

Well i'm in high school. My band hasn't rehearsed for two weeks even though we all practice alone. I'm currently taking a week break =]. It's strange cause when i come back to it, i feel that i sound better.

[ryco]

No. I've never needed a break. However I don't practice as much as I used to. Down to about 2 hrs a day.

I don't take my bass on vacations and trips anymore. I figure that's all the break i need. Guess I'm an addict!

[Gubna]

yeah, after eleven years of playing in bands, I took one. I quit my band, and I don't think I even touched my bass for a year.

it wasn't because I didn't like playing, I just needed a break and I didn't want to hold the other guys back from what they wanted to do. In hindsight, I probably could've asked them if it was alright if I took 6 months off, but who knows if I would've been ready by then. There were lots of reasons I wanted to leave the band - even though musically, we worked real well together.

I played guitar during that time, but not much else. after about 4 years, I got back into a band - playing lead guitar. but over the past couple years, since joining Talkbass, I have gotten back into playing - pretty much every day, and love it more than ever!

I remember a really great producer telling me that sometimes the best thing you can do to improve your playing is to take a week or two off once in a while. In my case I found him to be right.

George

[WyrdoBass]

I'm currently taking a "forced break".

Got grounded from my bass...

3 weeks to go...